Paper Papillons
by Freckled Princess of Arendelle
Summary: Kit decides to surprise Ella with a special gift. (Kitella)


**After watching the movie for a third time, I decided to write a cute, little one-shot about Kit and Ella. :)**

 **Disclaimer - I don't own Cinderella (2015).**

Paper Papillons

One summery day, while Ella was out on a ride in the forest, Kit sat in his office, buried in his treaties, letters, and negotiations. The windows to his office were opened, letting in the light breeze.

Kit sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Some days he wished he was not king. For the past few days all he had been doing was sitting in his office and stressing about running the kingdom. He could not even remember the last time he had a quiet moment with Ella.

Dropping his hand, Kit let out a weary breathe and turned to the window. There, fluttering in just outside, was a beautiful blue butterfly.

Kit smiled at the sight and watched as the delicate creature moved in a circle and then flew away into the sky and away from the king's sight.

 _What do the French call a butterfly? Ella told me this before. But what could it be?_ Kit wondered as he turned back to his desk and glanced down at the papers.

"Papillon….yes that's it! Papillon!" Kit snapped his fingers and straightened in his seat with glee.

Almost immediately after he spoke up, there was a single knock on the door, startling the excited king.

"Your Majesty?" The door opened and Captain Morgan stepped inside. An odd glance crossed his face as he looked across at the smiling Kit.

"Is everything alright your grace? I heard a shout."

"Oh it's nothing, just remembering some French." Kit assured him, leaning back in his chair.

The captain arched a brow, unsure whether or not to question his friend. He gave Kit a brief nod before stepping out of the office and closing the door behind him. Once Captain Morgan was gone, Kit smiled and straightened in his seat. Leaning forward, he grabbed the drawer handle and pulled the drawer open. He then gathered the blank sheets of light pink and purple paper and dropped them onto his desk.

He remembered Ella telling him the story of how she received a paper papillon from her father when she was a little girl and Kit could not help but laugh at how ironic it was that he himself learned how to make such creations from his own mother. It was after that when he learned that Ella did not own the little paper butterfly anymore. Her stepmother found it on the kitchen table and threw it into the flames.

Luckily for Kit, he still remembered how to make paper butterflies. Truth to be told, it was a fun hobby to do when one was bored. One time when he was a young lad and forced to stay in the palace, he snatched a dozen sheets of colored paper from his mother's room and made an entire collection of butterflies.

Grabbing a pair of sheers from the corner of his desk, Kit smirked and picked up the first sheet of paper.

Looks like it was time to take a small break.

* * *

Flushed from the sun and happy, Ella trotted her horse up to the stables. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a simple braid and instead of wearing a formal riding jacket and skirt, she was dressed in a simple pair of brown trousers, a loose white blouse, and black riding boots. Her ladies in waiting were definitely surprised with the outfit choice, yet Ella did not acknowledge them. It felt nice not to wear a dress for once and having to worry about getting a tear.

"That was a nice ride wasn't it Silverdrop?" Ella asked, giving her exhausted stallion a comforting pat on his neck.

Smiling, the young woman made a move to dismount. As she prepared to swing her leg over the saddle, Ella suddenly felt a pair of strong arms take her waist, startling her. Surprised, Ella turned and beamed a new smile at the sight of Kit standing behind her.

"Welcome back! You came just in time for lunch." he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Ella laughed and turned around in his arms. "Wonderful! I'll just take Silverdrop in and run to the palace to…"

"There's no need for that, I'll have Dominic take care of the horse. Lunch is already prepared and waiting for us." Kit assured her. As if on cue, the young stable hand approached them and took Silverdrop's reins.

"But what about my clothes? I'm a mess!" Ella teased, looking down at her creased clothes. The last thing she wanted was to look weary and dusty at the table.

Kit smiled and lifted her hand to his lips. "I don't see a thing. You still look breathtakingly beautiful to me." he insisted, kissing each small knuckle.

Ella's smile widened as Kit dropped their hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Ready to go?"

Unsure if she could be anymore happy, Ella gave him a small nod. The king returned her smile and the couple began to walk away from the stables.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kit and Ella approached the familiar door that led into the Secret Garden. Surprised, Ella turned to her husband just in time to see Kit open the door and hold it for her. His bright eyes gleamed and his smile stretched from ear to ear.

"My Queen," he gave her a grand bow.

"Thank you," Ella gave him a small curtsy in return before moving past him and inside the garden.

At the moment the garden was basked in warm, bright sunlight. The roses were a beautiful, rich red in the light and the grass looked lush and perfect to lay down on and watch the passing clouds. Happily, Ella turned and noticed Kit approach. Once he was standing in front of her, Kit looked down at took her hands.

"Close your eyes," he whispered.

Giving him a playful glance, Ella obeyed and closed her eyes. Kit then took her hand and began to guide her to a tall tree in that provided nice shade from the sun.

Underneath the leafy canopy and spread out on the grass was a blanket covered with a platter of finger sandwiches, cookies, and chocolates truffles, and a tray with two teacups on saucers, two plates, and a pot of tea. A small vase of red roses stood in the middle of it all, completed with a note of love that Kit wrote to his wife. As he led Ella to the picnic, Kit's gaze fell from the picnic and up to the tree branches.

His smile widened at the sight of the dozens of pink and purple paper papillons that hung from the branches by thin strings. At the moment there was a light breeze and each papillon was now fluttering against it, making the little creations appear as though they were real. Kit could not help but feel proud at how well the project turned out. He had a feeling that his mother would be very proud of his accomplishment.

His heart beat in sudden excitement as Kit squeezed Ella's hand and turned to her. She still had her eyes closed and smiling patiently.

"You can open your eyes darling."

Ella's eyes flew open and she looked up. A loud, stunned gasp escaped her lips as she watched the dozens of papillons flutter in the breeze just above her head. They were the exact same butterflies she remembered receiving from her father, and the sight warmed her heart. It had been a while since her beloved papillon was destroyed and she had seen another beautiful piece of art.

"Kit, this is…" she breathed.

Too stunned to move, Ella watched as Kit approached the tree and took down a purple papillon. He turned and returned to her, holding out the papillon.

"Mademoiselle," he presented, holding the delicate paperwork on his palm. Ella giggled and took the papillon into her own hand with great care.

"Merci Monsieur," she returned, leaning over and kissing Kit on the lips. "It's beautiful, thank you Kit."

Happily, Kit gave her a sweet, second kiss. "I'm very glad you like it. Shall we sit?" he gestured to the picnic.

"We shall,"

Holding the papillon in her palm, Ella allowed Kit to help her sit down on the blanket. As she got herself comfortable, Ella felt the light wings brush against her palm, and she could not help but feel as though she was holding a real butterfly. They got settled and Kit began to pour the tea. When he looked up to fill Ella's cup, he grinned at the bright look upon her face.

"It was a funny actually. I was sitting in my office and I saw a butterfly outside my window. It reminded me of our talk about the paper papillons and I wanted to do something to return what was lost for you." he explained, reaching out and taking her hand.

Leaning in, Ella gripped his hand and gave him a beautiful, loving smile. Her hand brushed against his and Kit looked down to see a pink papillon on his palm.

"For you my love, you deserve one too." she insisted.

Still holding the papillon, Kit reached out and captured her lips with his. "I love you Ella."

"I love you Mr. Kit." Ella said, taking his face and kissing him back.


End file.
